Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-04
AS A DEFENSIVE MEASURE.
Benefit of the Hennepin Canal in the
Event Of War-What Has Created
New Zeal

Benefit Of the Hennepin Canal in the
Event Of war-What Has Created
New Zeal
The possibility of war with Great Brit
ain growing out of the fisheries question,
has awakened new interest in the Hen
nepin canal, for its necessity as affording
inland water lines in the event of war as
well as benefit to commerce is now ap-
parent. Mayor Harrison sent a special
message to the last meeting of the Chi
cago city council in the course of which
he said.
Today there are distant rumblings or
possible war between this country and
England, and mighty interests are
alarmed by the exposures made by scien>
tific men of the case with which this and
other lake cities may be blown to atoms
by British gunboats before this country
can be ready for war. If this canal
were now finished, gunboats could be
rapidly built which could lock up in the
Welland canal Englsnds navy. whereas
to build now single gunboat capable of
| reaching Lake Erie would be declara-
ton of war. The government should
build this canal, and commence at once,
and through the building unload itself of
| the idle hundreds of millions in its
| vaults. which would be giving work and
bread to industrious laborers, and by
such canal placing itself in a position
which would not bring blush of shame
to the American cheek by repetition of
| the Mason and SlIdell fiasco'
Mr.. Harrison further states that if the
government should fail to build this
canal, then the state of Illinois or Chi
cago herself should.
In the United States senate, Senator
Cullom has introduced an amendment 10
the sundry civil appropriation bill di-
recting the secretary of war TO cause q
survey to be made for canal eighty
feet wide and seven feet deep. with
locks one hundred and seventy feet long
and thirty feet wide, from the Illinois
river at or near Hennepin, to the Missis
sippi river at or above the mouth OF
Rock river. Also survey of the Hi
nois and Desplaines rivers from LIS
Sale to Joliet, with view to the i'm
provement Of the rivers, so as TO main
tain a waterway one hundred and sixty
feet wide and seven feet deep between
the places named. The secretary is also
directed to cause survey to be made
and canal located from Joliet to Lake
Michigan, at or near Chicago, with di-
mansions the same as those specified fol-
the waterway, and with locks three
hundred and forty feet long and seventy
five feet wide. One hundred Thousand
dollars is appropriated for these purposes
It's further directed that work be no
commenced, or any of the money ex
pended until the State of Illinois cedc!
to the United States all right and title il
any Improvements now existing on tn,
Illinois river, and to SO much of tht
Michigan canal as may he required b.
the United States.
This because the administration ha
become suddenly aroused as TO tn
necessity of interior water lines in war
especially war with foreign foe tina
can use all the water of our northern
frontier. Every Rock Islander knows tina
the Hennepin canal project originated
during our civil war, when the Masol
and Slidell affair made the necessity of i
as a government defense measure
necessity. And now the furry over tn
fisheries brings up the necessity anew
e Ten years ago, the Inter Ocean says,
committee of the senate. appointed t
investigate and report upon water trans
portation, in recommending the construc
ton of the Hennepin canal, spoke of tn
advantage of an interior line Of waite
c)mmunication in case Of war. Tn
most important argument advanced i
t favor of the construction of the cana
WAS that relating to the commercial inter
ests OF the country, showing what grea
] advantage such canal would be to tn
Mississippi Valley and to the whole lax
region. Time and time again, continue
the editor, the attention of congress hs
been called to the commercial and mil
itary Importance of the Hennepin cana
: and every time the proposition has bee
:, treated as though it were a mere schem
. TO steal money from the national treas
=. urv This treatment has been imperti
i nent and offensive to the northwest, bi
d 1t ms not been resented When dan
: ger threatens, however eastern men an
= western men see alike. and the import
ance Of such a waterway is acknowledge
II on every hand
: The Hennepin canal is in more favor i
5 public sentiment than ever
: The Carrier Service